


Shiver.

by nirroca



Series: Lavender [18]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Healthy Relationships, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Porn with Feelings, soft idiots in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:02:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23838805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nirroca/pseuds/nirroca
Summary: Firelit reunions and discussions of intimacy.Cassandra takes matters into her own hands in Ellana's absence, but what does this mean for both of them when Ellana finally comes home after two months on the Storm Coast?
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Cassandra Pentaghast, Female Lavellan/Cassandra Pentaghast, Inquisitor/Cassandra Pentaghast
Series: Lavender [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/607711
Comments: 12
Kudos: 60





	Shiver.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by some lovely words and even lovelier art by frecklef0x which can be found [here](https://frecklef0x.tumblr.com/post/614297950121852928/fire-glow-on-skin-wine-warmth-in-cheeks-all-this). (Show her some love if you can, because without her I never would have written this <3)

“Please read it again, it's my favourite part,” Ellana pleads with a grin as she sets down her wine glass. 

“Really?” Cassandra huffs sceptically.

“Well, not really, but I like hearing you read it.” Ellana grins. Cassandra half-heartedly tosses a pillow at Ellana in protest, which she catches easily with a laugh. “Although, I’d listen to you read anything,” Ellana admits softly, all traces of teasing gone from her voice.

“Anything, hm? I think you’ve been away too long. That, or it’s the drink talking.” Cassandra snorts brushing a strand of dark brown hair off her forehead. Her eyes follow the tangle of Ellana’s silver locks draped over her shoulders and chest. One of the waves curls into the neckline of her oversized shirt, tangling with the laces at the collar she had left undone after her bath, disappearing under the fabric pressed against her skin.

Ellana had fallen silent when she caught her staring. They meet eyes for a moment, quiet, watching each other. Fire-glow on skin, wine-warmth in cheeks, all this light in dark places.

“I’ve missed you.” Cassandra murmurs into the moment between them. She reverently moves a twist of Ellana’s hair over her shoulder, fingers brushing the warm skin of her collarbone. The weeks they had been apart felt like an age.

“The Storm Coast just isn’t the same without you,” Ellana whispers, her words not quite matching the expression on her face - a face that was reflecting all the tenderness that Cassandra felt for the woman in front of her. 

Reluctantly, she pulls her hand away from the warmth of the skin that it was anchored to. But Ellana has other ideas, and she catches her hand delicately - holds it between both of her own. Her soft smile lights up her face, and Cassandra is humbled by the knowledge that she is one of the only people to ever get to see Ellana like this. 

Cassandra sighs when nimble fingers press into her skin, tightening when their owner pulls herself closer. Comes to rest straddling her thighs.

Her book slips from the fingers of her other hand, forgotten in favour of more intimate things. Ellana is warm where she presses against her, and where Cassandra’s fingers press against her waist through the thin linen of her shirt. She feels Ellana shiver against her and wonders briefly if the room was too cool - Ellana had only bothered to put on a shirt after her bath and only then because Cassandra had asked. She had wanted to make the night of Ellana’s return something special but she had surprised her by arriving back in Skyhold a few days early.

But plans didn’t matter to her. Not when Ellana was  _ home _ . The nest of pillows she had made herself in front of the fire in Ellana’s absence had enough room for two. Cassandra is amazed that she had the strength to keep her hands to herself for as long as she has. Especially with the way that Ellana had been looking at her, her gaze lingering in a way that left Cassandra with no doubt to what she was thinking. What she -  _ they _ both wanted.

What was the point of dragging this out any longer than they needed to?

She feels Ellana shiver again when her fingers flex against her waist. 

“Are you cold?” Cassandra smirks quietly.

“Not as cold as I have been the past weeks,” Ellana replies with a shrug.

“Careful now, you’ll give me the idea that you missed me.”

“I did. You have no idea how much I missed you vhenan,” Ellana sighs. “Days soaked by rain with only the thought of you keeping me warm alone at night? Not what I would call ‘ _ fun _ ’.”

Cassandra snorts at the look of distaste on Ellana’s face. She never doubted that Ellana would have missed her. But it was flattering to hear it. After spending so much of her life independent it still gave her a thrill to know that someone was missing her when she wasn’t there. That someone  _ wanted _ her in all the ways that mattered to her. 

“I -” Ellana sighs before pausing, looking at Cassandra shyly. “The entire time I was away I - I didn’t - _ couldn’t _ \- even touch myself.”    
  
The embarrassment is clear in the flush that burns across Ellana’s cheeks and quiver of the waist beneath her fingertips. She knew how much touch meant to Ellana. How intimate of an act it was for her. Knowing that she denied herself tells Cassandra everything she needs to know about how well Ellana handled the distance between them the months that they were apart. 

“Now I feel bad,” Cassandra sighs.

Ellana tilts her head curiously, and Cassandra continues at her unasked question.

“Some nights the only thing that helped make sleeping alone in our bed easier was the memory of the moments we’ve shared together,” Cassandra replies earnestly. 

“Really?” Ellana grins.

_ The cheek of the woman _ Cassandra muses to herself, exhaling contentedly when she feels familiar fingers playing with the wisps of hair that curl at the nape of her neck. Her hair was longer than usual but she was hesitant to cut it. A choice that was partially influenced by how much Ellana seemed to like the longer length on her. And Cassandra couldn’t deny that she enjoyed the sensation of Ellana twisting and curling the lengths of it between her fingers. It had been two months since they last had time like this together after all, she was allowed to indulge herself.

At some point her eyes had fluttered shut, and when she opens them again she is greeted by green eyes watching her with a softness that stills the breath between her ribs. Maker she had missed this. Had missed  _ her _ and every little quirk that brightened her days.

“What?” Cassandra asks, laughing softly at the tender expression on Ellana’s face.

Ellana doesn’t say anything. But she doesn’t need to.

It's a relief - the feeling of warm lips against her own - kissing her with an unhurried thoroughness that makes Cassandra question how she managed her days without it. All she can think of is the way the woman in her arms moves against her. The way that she breathes, the sweet taste of the wine that lingers on her lips. Every part of her body feels alive at her touch, and the tingle in her belly that she had tried not to think about most of the night makes itself known. Cassandra wanted Ellana in every sense of the word. No doubt Ellana felt the same.

“I love you,” Ellana breathes into the space between them when they finally part. Cassandra hums contentedly at her words and returns them in kind with the reverence of a prayer. 

“Would you show me?” Ellana asks, biting well-kissed lips. An edge of trepidation to her voice.

“Show you what?” Cassandra asks, distracted by the play of emotion on Ellana’s face. She looked nervous. Looked playful. An odd combination on the normally sure woman's face. 

“What you thought of when - when you touched yourself? Whilst I… wasn’t here?” 

Of all the things that Ellana could have asked her, she hadn’t expected that. It wasn’t something that they’d ever talked about either - how they would deal with their feelings in each others absence. But maybe now they should?

A thought that Cassandra pushes to the back of her mind when Ellana kisses along her jaw. 

_ Maybe this could be enjoyable?  _ Cassandra thinks to herself as she helps insistent fingers untuck her shirt.

“Wait,” Cassandra whispers, stilling Ellana’s hands on the hem of her shirt.

If they were going to do what she had fantasised about she had to take the lead. Telling Ellana what she thought about was something she knew she would struggle to do. But show her? That was something Cassandra knew.

“Let me?” Cassandra asks earnestly, giving Ellana the chance to change her mind.

“Please. Yes.” Ellana breathes as Cassandra tucks a stray curl of hair behind her ear before leaning in to kiss her again.

Ellana pulls herself closer, her fists pulling the fabric of Cassandra’s shirt taught against her shoulders as she moves in her lap. Cassandra can feel the grin that spreads across Ellana’s face when insistent fingers return to the hem of her shirt again.

There had been certain moments that Cassandra had thought of when she touched herself whilst Ellana was gone. Most of those nights she had been remembering some of their more intimate moments together, the way that Ellana responded to her touch. But lately thinking of those nights made Ellana’s absence feel sharper. On those nights she thought about the things that she would do when Ellana finally returned, how she could use her body to show her all the ways that she had missed her. 

And now was her chance.

As if Ellana can sense her thoughts her kiss becomes more insistent, and they only part long enough for Ellana to strip her of her shirt before they crash back together in a tangle of limbs and hungry kisses. She has fond memories of the love they have made in front of the fire but tonight Cassandra wanted the comfort to take her time. 

Ellana laughs when she feels herself being lifted as Cassandra stands, wrapping her legs around Cassandra’s hips before returning her attention to the sensitive skin behind her ear.

Ellana stands when Cassandra stops at the side of the bed. She takes a moment to take in the woman in front of her. There are lines on her face that speak clearly of fatigue and long journeys. But there is a softness to her, in the bow of her lips and the eyes that watch her over the sharp ridge of her cheekbones.

“What?” Ellana asks with a nervous laugh.

“Maker you’re beautiful,” Cassandra breathes, her hands returning to their home on Ellana’s hips, teasing the hem of her shirt. 

“Now who’s letting the drink talk for them,” Ellana flushes. 

“Maybe it is,” Cassandra sighs, giving Ellana a pointed look. “Or maybe it's making it easier to tell you you’re the most beautiful woman in Thedas.”

“If you say so.”

“I do,” Cassandra replies, cutting off any further protests from Ellana with a kiss and wandering hands.

_ Had Ellana always felt this firm? _ Cassandra wonders as her palms caress the smooth expanse of her back. She groans when she feels how sensitive Ellana is to her touch. The knowledge that she could elicit such reactions from her with just her touch was heady. A thought that slips from Cassandra’s mind when Ellana laughs against her mouth as she squeezes the tender flesh of her rear.

“I think I know what you missed most,” Ellana teases breathlessly. 

“Do you?” Cassandra snorts, watching Ellana’s eyes close as her fingers skim the warm skin of her neck. 

Maker, it was fascinating how she shivered against her. To watch the stuttering rise and fall of her chest as she kissed along her jaw, warm breath following the moist trail of her lips. 

She can feel the strong beat of her pulse beneath her fingertips as she trails them down the line of her neck, blunt nails catching on the laces of her shirt as she kneads her breast. They were both wearing far too much for Cassandra’s tastes. The eight weeks that they had been apart felt far longer, and as much as she enjoyed teasing Ellana she wanted nothing more than to feel the heat of her skin against hers. The softness of her as she moved beneath her, trusting and open with Cassandra in a way that she was with no one else - not even those she called her closest friends.

“Hmm,” Ellana replies as she tugs on the laces of Cassandra’s breeches. “You missed my radiant personality.”   
  
“Arse,” Cassandra laughs softly as she savours the feeling of Ellana’s knuckles brushing the sensitive skin of her belly.

“That too I suspect,” Ellana grins.

_ Maker this woman. _ “You are wearing far too much.”

“Am I?”   
  
“Yes,” Cassandra replies, hands fisting in the hem of the shirt barely keeping Ellana modest. One of her own that Ellana had taken possession of in the first weeks of their relationship and that Cassandra found her attractive in to the point of distraction. The oversized garment slips off Ellana with ease and Cassandra pulls her closer - fingers tangling in the soft silvery strands of her hair as she cups her neck. 

Whatever words that Ellana might have said are cut off when Cassandra kisses her, tugging on the strands that slip through her fingers. She feels Ellana sway as her calves hit the edge of the bed that Cassandra has been guiding her towards. She had missed this more than she thought Cassandra realises when she feels Ellana draw her lip between her teeth, soothing the sting of her bite with a swipe of her tongue. 

The cotton of the shirt is soft in her fist. Almost as soft as the hand caressing her shoulders - the lips so pliant and responsive against her own - Cassandra thinks as she places the garment on the bed absently. She’d thought about this moment for weeks. She knew she wanted to take her time with Ellana when she finally returned home. But with the way that Ellana moves against her - clings to her - the limits of Cassandra’s self-control are severely tested. Something Ellana no doubt knows. 

Cassandra uses Ellana’s distraction to gently push her onto the bed, marvelling at the vision she makes - pale skin and silver hair a contrast to the deep red of the bedclothes she rests against. She truly was stunning in a way that Cassandra could never hope to ever describe. But that didn’t mean that she couldn’t show her 

Ellana’s eyes are dark as she watches Cassandra strip herself of the rest of her clothes, and Cassandra feels a jolt of arousal burn hot through her belly. She knew that look. She loved knowing that it was only ever for her - that Ellana owned a part of her that was so intimate. Cassandra doesn’t need to see Ellana’s face to know that she is admiring the curve of her hips and the strong muscles of her thighs as she shimmies out of her tight leather breeches. 

Ellana moves to rest against the pillows, shifting to face Cassandra as she joins her. The tenderness of her gaze leaves Cassandra wanting. To close the distance between them. To feel her, skin slick with sweat and capable of thinking only of her touch. She wants to be close to her, to dispel the thought that this is only just a dream and reassure herself that her love really was within her reach.

“Nuvenan ma’eolasem thu’ir ar lath ma,” Ellana whispers stroking the scar on Cassandra’s cheek. 

She's not completely familiar with all the words that Ellana says in her mother tongue, but she has heard the last three enough times to catch the gist of what they might mean.

“I have an idea,” Cassandra murmurs “For I think I love you just as much.”

Ellana’s answering grin is the radiance that Cassandra had been missing from her days and soothes the tired feeling that had settled in her chest so many weeks ago.

“And will be glad to spend the rest of the night showing you,”

“You will?” Ellana laughs, hooking her calf over Cassandra’s thigh. The heat of her sex feels a brand against her skin and it's all the encouragement Cassandra needs.

Their kisses from earlier pale in comparison to the heat that passes between them now - between gasped shared breaths. Cassandra had thought she wanted to take her time but now as she settles between the cradle of Ellana’s thighs she can think of little reason to temper her desires. They had the night to themselves after all, and Cassandra had little doubt that between Leliana and Josephine they wouldn’t be disturbed until the next morning.

Cassandra is aware of little else until Ellana speaks and the heat burning in her veins tempers to a simmer and she can think beyond what she wants right now.

“Was this what you were going to show me?” Ellana asks, her breath warm against Cassandra’s chin.   
  
“We have all night,”

“And I had a long journey home,”

“Well when you put it that way,” Cassandra laughs softly.

Every one of her fantasies paled to having the real thing right in front of her, so it made it hard for her to think. She casts her mind to what she had thought of the night before, wishing that Ellana was there with her in the emptiness of their bed. That day had been hard because she knew that Ellana would be home within the week but it didn’t make the fact that she had been missing her since the day she left any easier. She knew that she had been in a foul mood - enough of one that even Leliana made a pointed comment about her behaviour, and suggested that she take the rest of the evening to herself. 

She thought of how soft Ellana was despite her physical strength - or maybe because of it. She thought of how she was always so responsive to her touch - sees it firsthand now as Ellana shivers at the warmth of Cassandra’s kisses along the delicate length of her collarbones.

She thought of how she imagined kissing a lazy trail down Ellana’s body avoiding all the places that she knew Ellana wanted her touch. She never imagined that she would whimper as she kissed around her navel, the way that her belly ripples as her breath catches in her throat as she turns her attention to the scar that runs from her ribs to her hip. She hated that scar for what it meant. Loved it because Ellana was still alive to bear it.   
  
“Cassandra please,” Ellana sighs as her nose brushes the seam of her thigh, purposefully exhaling on the sensitive flesh that is hidden by the soft curls between her legs.

Her nose brushes the curls as she kisses the tops of her thighs, her hands coming up to rest on Ellana’s hips to hold her still as she starts to squirm. Cassandra takes a moment to watch Ellana from where she rests between her thighs. She was a marvel, and Cassandra is thankful every day that she has her in her life. Thankful even more so that she was here right now, radiant even in her tiredness. Beautiful in all the ways that poets write epics about.

“C _ asss _ ,” Ellana whines gently trying to pull her closer to where she wants her with the fingers tangled in her hair. 

And Cassandra concedes, giving her exactly what they both want. She never had to imagine how much Ellana wanted to be touched by her, and how she reacted to even the slightest touch. She can think of little more than the noises that Ellana makes with each kiss and swipe of her tongue as she draws her pleasure from her with her lips. She groans at the blunt fingernails scratch her scalp each time she pays attention to her clit before moving to other less sensitive areas. 

Watching her as she grazes her teeth over the sensitive apex of nerves Cassandra knows that Ellana is in no mood for teasing - she wouldn’t be either in Ellana’s position Cassandra thinks to herself - and after long days on the road to make her way back to Skyhold - to  _ her  _ \- she needs to rest. As much as she wished that they could spend their night sleepless and tangled in each other Cassandra knows the coming morning will be a lazy one. 

She feels the shiver run through Ellana’s body, hears the hitch in her breath as she all but begs Cassandra for that little bit more that will give her the release she needs. It doesn’t take long, in the end - Cassandra has come to know her love well these past months - and Ellana breaks, arches beneath her hands with a whine and a tug on the hair that is laced between her fingers. It was satisfying to watch. Even more satisfying to know her touch gave Ellana so much pleasure, that she could please her in such an intimate way.

Insistent hands pull Cassandra up and she goes willingly, drawing Ellana into her embrace as she comes to rest against the plushness of the pillows. Pillows that she had held close until they lost the smell of her. Held closer still because if she tried hard enough she could imagine that the softness was Ellana. That she was there with her the night that she had broken down and cried because she missed her so much she could hardly breathe. She felt weak remembering that night and how badly she had handled herself. Felt weaker still because she knew that there was nothing wrong with admitting that she missed the woman she loved. That she was  _ allowed _ to and no one would think any lesser of her for it. She knew, but even then she had a hard time convincing herself - giving herself permission to be vulnerable. Tenderhearted in a way that she only ever let Ellana see in the privacy of her embrace because she knew that Ellana would keep that part of her safe with everything she had. 

“Thank-you vhenan,” Ellana smiles at her hazily, the satisfied high of release clear in her gaze as she watches Cassandra through half-shut eyes.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Cassandra laughs softly before kissing between Ellana’s brow.

“I know,” Ellana breathes. “But it's been a while and you are  _ good _ -”

“Lana,” Cassandra flushes, cutting off whatever Ellana was in the middle of saying.

“It's true though,” Ellana replies, the smirk clear in her voice despite her obvious fatigue. “I just wish I had the energy to return the favour.”

Cassandra did too. But falling asleep with Ellana in her arms was more appealing to her than satisfying the ache between her legs, despite how close she was right now. At the moment at least. 

“There’s always later,” Cassandra concedes trying to reassure her. 

“I know,” Ellana sighs, “Unless…”

She knew that tone. Mischievous and sure it always bought the promise of something unexpected.

“Spit it out Lana,” Cassandra sighs. 

She doesn’t expect the delicate fingers that circle her wrist, guiding her hand between her legs. It takes Cassandra a moment to realise what Ellana is suggesting, and as much as she wishes it was Ellana the idea is better than waiting for her arousal to fade on her own.

“Are you sure?” Cassandra asks, finally letting her fingers slip through her folds when Ellana nods in reply. She was so close and she knew it wouldn’t take her long to find the satisfaction she craved.

And it doesn’t. Not with the pressure of Ellana’s thigh pushing against her hand as her fingers circle around her clit in a steady rhythm. Ellana kisses her languidly and although slow, the combination of friction between her legs and the tenderness of Ellana’s kiss it's enough to tip Cassandra over the edge. She gasps against Ellana’s mouth when she finally comes, breaking softly like a lazy wave on a steady shore. It's small, but it's all she needs right now.

“Beautiful,” Ellana whispers against her lips, so soft she almost doesn’t hear it over the pulse settling between her ears. 

Cassandra snorts in response, earning a pointed sigh and annoyed tap from the hand that rests on her waist.

“We need to clean up,” Ellana admonishes her softly, untangling herself from Cassandra’s embrace and swinging her legs off the bed. Cassandra watches as she disappears into the small washroom, only moving when she comes back so she can make use of the room herself. When she returns she takes a moment to watch Ellana, digs her nails into her palm to reassure herself that she actually is awake and she wasn’t just dreaming of her early return. 

“I’m here,” Ellana calls out to her as if she can sense Cassandra’s thoughts. Cassandra shakes her head, smiling softly to herself before joining her again amongst the pillows and the bedclothes. 

It's a relief, Ellana’s arms sliding around her as Cassandra nuzzles her face against her neck. Although she never left it feels like she’s home again, safe here in the island they’ve made for themselves in the room that they both call theirs. Both call  _ home _ .

She feels herself drifting, nimble fingers stroking her skin softly as Ellana breathes deeply. Evenly. Exhaling warm puffs of air against her scalp. Cassandra knows that Ellana is exhausted, she can feel it in the heaviness of the limbs that wrap around her. But something is on her mind and whatever it is it's keeping Ellana from slipping into well-deserved rest.

“What are you thinking, my love?” Cassandra asks, kissing the skin beneath her lips. 

“Earlier… is - is that what you thought of? While I was away?”

“Some of the time.”

“Hmm” Ellana hums thoughtfully.   
  
“I mostly thought of how you always respond to the way that I touch you, the way you look when I give you what you need from me. Just… you.  _ Us _ . Here, together.”

“Was it good?” Ellana asks curiously.

“It was… enough,” Cassandra admits. “But, nothing compares to you Ellana. Not even your memory.”

“Flatterer,” Ellana snorts. Cassandra can feel the heat that courses through her skin, betraying the casualness of her words.

“It's true, I know you feel the same way about me.”

“I do. Even if it wasn’t for the long days trekking through mud and rain on foot weeding out the last of the Venatori and finding Darkspawn I… don’t know if I could have - pleasured myself with only the thought of you. Not quickly at least.”

“Does it bother you that I did?” Cassandra asks. They’d never discussed such things before. Never felt the need to. But perhaps now they should.

“Bother me? I’m flattered. Knowing that just the thought of me is enough for you even when I’m not here? Not to mention it does wonders for my ego.”

Cassandra rolls her eyes, not holding Ellana’s comments about ego against her. She would feel the same if she knew that Ellana touched herself thinking of her when they couldn’t be together. 

“Maybe it's something we can explore together in the future?” Ellana suggests, twisting Cassandra’s plait around her fingers. 

“Maybe,” Cassandra hums in agreement. “What did you do instead? On the Storm Coast,” Cassandra asks, curious to know how Ellana filled the time when she retired to the solitude of her tent for the evening

“If I didn’t just fall asleep after crawling into my bedroll? I think I read the book you gave me at least three times,”

“You liked it then?”

“It was terrible,” Ellana grins “But I can see why you might find it appealing. And it was nice, to have a piece of you with me.” 

“Did you really walk everywhere?” The Storm Coast was treacherous, and the first time they visited there for Inquisition business the horses baulked at the muddy ground and constant roll of thunder. The place was miserable at the best of times - even more so at this time of year with the angry storms that rolled across the Waking Sea - and to cover such distances every day on foot? Cassandra didn’t need to be there to know that Ellana was miserable and hated every second of it. Doubly so without Cassandra there to take the edge off of her temper. 

“Yes. Why?”

“You… feel different.”

“Different?” Ellana asks an edge of curiosity to her voice. 

“Firmer,” 

“Firmer?” There is no mistaking the amusement in Ellana’s voice.

“Yes,” Cassandra sighs. She had missed the silliness that they shared in the soft moments like these - full of bliss and wrapped up in each other. “I like it though.”

“You do?”

“Yes,” Cassandra replies, squeezing the firmness of Ellana’s rear to emphasise her point.

Ellana laughs, and the sound is honest and warm, like the woman whose lips it so easily spills from. It wraps around her like honey and for a moment everything in the room feels brighter, like the fire burning in the hearth isn’t the only source of warmth in the room. Winter had set its grasp on the keep and for now, it is easy to forget the frigidness that clawed at the cracks in the doors when she was wrapped up in the warmth of Ellana and the comfort she brings her. 

“Cassandra Pentaghast is an arse woman. Who would have thought?” Ellana teases.

“No one would ever believe you,” Cassandra grumbles half-heartedly.

“I wouldn’t have to tell,” 

“I’m not that obvious am I?” Cassandra sighs.

“Only to me. And maybe Leliana. Would it really be so bad though? To let others see you the way I do?”

“I… perhaps not. But I like that there are things that are just  _ ours _ .”

“So do I,” Ellana starts “But every time I hear people talk about you like you’re the sum of your temper and your sword arm I wish that they knew how soft and kind-hearted you are. How thoughtful and how passionate you are about the things - the  _ people _ \- that you believe in and care about.”

Trust Ellana to cut to the heart of the things she worries about with such ease, and then soothe with the words that she needs to hear.

“Your tiredness is making you delirious,” Cassandra grumbles. Hearing people speak so positively of her is still so new to her. She doesn’t mean to deflect the way that she does but she knows that Ellana isn’t making fun of her like it was easy for so many others to do.

“I thought it was the wine,” Ellana remarks drily. Cassandra knows this isn’t the last that they’ll speak about this but for now, both are content to let the matter rest between them.

“Maybe it's both,” Cassandra replies, turning to pull Ellana onto her chest, sighing as she settles against her. “But for now, you need to sleep.”

Ellana doesn’t reply, but Cassandra knows that she’s given up fighting the tiredness that has been trying to claim her for most of the evening. She feels it when she finally loses, the heaviness of her against her chest a welcome comfort after so many weeks without Ellana and her warmth brightening her days.

“I’m glad you're home my love,” Cassandra whispers to the stillness of the night that surrounds them. She feels herself drifting, warm and content in the silence punctuated by the softness of Ellana as she breathes steadily against her. The last thing she's aware of is Ellana and the lingering happiness that she was home. The knowledge that for the first time in weeks the first thing she’ll see when she wakes is her beautiful face.

As if sensing her thoughts Ellana shuffles closer, and Cassandra pulls her tighter into her embrace with a sigh. 

“I’m glad you’re home…” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
